[National destiny?]
Hehua was startled.
She knew what national destiny meant. Niu Niu had mentioned it in the novel it had shared with her.
[How is that possible? A child who died in the original story actually carries the nation’s destiny?]
Niu Niu organized its thoughts before explaining.
[Nothing is impossible. You can think of it this way: in your previous life’s storyline, he died because he couldn’t overcome this turning point in his fate. But after your rebirth, you intervened and saved him. You became his benefactor, so he survived.
Judging by the national destiny he carries, as long as his future doesn’t change drastically, he is destined to grow into someone who will make tremendous contributions to the country. Because he exists now, your nation is also destined to become stronger than it was in your previous life in certain ways.
Saving someone like him naturally earns you more energy than saving an ordinary person.
Of course, people like him are extremely rare, especially in a small place like this. But remember this: Never fail to do good just because it seems insignificant, and never do evil just because it seems small.]
Hehua nodded seriously.
[I understand, Niu Niu.]
She looked down at the child in her arms, her eyes full of warmth, and asked gently,
“What’s your name?”
The little boy sniffled.
“Big Sister Hehua, my name is Xiao Guodong. Grandpa hopes that I’ll grow up to become a pillar of the nation.”
Hehua found that amusing.
He was just a tiny little bean. Did he even know what pillar of the nation meant?
“Do you know what that means?”
Xiao Guodong straightened his small back as much as he could. His childish face was filled with seriousness.
“I do, Big Sister Hehua. A pillar of the nation means doing things that are good for the country and good for the people.”
A complicated expression crossed Hehua’s face.
So many people had lost hope in their country after being sent down. Even after they were politically rehabilitated, they had lost their drive and simply became ordinary, unremarkable people.
Yet the Xiao family was still suffering, and they still believed in the country. They still had hope. They still held onto their faith.
But perhaps it was precisely because the country had so many people with unwavering convictions that they had once won victory, endured hardship, and later devoted their lives and blood to building the nation. That was why the prosperous future she remembered had come to exist.
She couldn’t be like them.
But she admired them.
And as an ordinary person, she also wanted to do whatever little she could.
She gently patted the boy’s head.
“Then you’d better work hard.”
Xiao Guodong’s grape-like eyes sparkled brightly, and he answered firmly,
“I will, Big Sister Hehua.”
Remembering that he still hadn’t thanked her after being rescued, he squirmed shyly. His little dark face turned red with embarrassment.
“Big Sister Hehua, thank you for saving me.”
Hehua adjusted the child in her arms.
“It’s nothing. Any adult in the village would’ve stepped in today if they’d seen what happened. Even though you’re from the cowshed, think about it—our village’s monthly struggle meetings only make your family give self-reflection speeches. No one has really mistreated you. Who would just stand by and watch a child get bullied?”
She lightly smacked his bottom.
“You little troublemaker. I bet this isn’t the first time you’ve been bullied. You should tell the adults. Those kids may be older than you, but they’re still children. They hear all kinds of nonsense from outside and end up copying it. If you tell the adults, they’ll step in. Then you won’t keep getting bullied.”
“The more you stay silent, the more they’ll bully you. If the adults don’t know, they won’t discipline them. They’ll just let them continue down the wrong path. That’s bad for them, and it’s bad for you too.”
“Just like today. They didn’t know when to stop. You almost lost your life. For your own sake, you should tell the adults.”
Hehua admitted that what she said was somewhat biased.
Although those children had caused Xiao Guodong’s death in the original storyline, she was still a member of Xiangyang Production Brigade. She didn’t want the people in her brigade to end up with the same fate they had in the original story.
Besides, most of those children’s parents truly had no idea what their children had done. In the original storyline, many parents died without ever knowing about the terrible things their children had committed.
Even so, she didn’t think the Xiao family had been wrong.
If she had been in their position, she would have gone just as mad.
Perhaps even worse.
Unless you’ve suffered someone’s pain yourself, don’t tell them to be kind.
The only reason she could remain so calm after being reborn was because the system had adjusted her emotions and memories.
If it hadn’t…
She probably would’ve already rushed to the military base and hacked the male lead, the female lead, and the vicious supporting woman to death.
But now she had been reborn.
She had saved this child before tragedy struck.
While she wanted Xiao Guodong to have a good future, she also didn’t want the Xiao family and the production brigade to become mortal enemies again.
They didn’t have to be close.
They just shouldn’t become enemies.
Most of those children didn’t even realize their actions were wrong.
The cities were the same now—perhaps even crueler.
They were simply copying what the adults did.
Someone had to tell them it was wrong.
And when necessary, they also needed a proper spanking.
While Hehua still couldn’t let the matter go, Xiao Guodong himself didn’t care very much.
To him, today’s injuries weren’t even half as serious as the ones he’d suffered on the journey after being sent down.
At least this time he hadn’t bled.
He had been rescued in time.
The children who bullied him had even been beaten up by Big Sister Hehua.
They probably hurt much more than he did.
Instead, it was getting his little bottom smacked by Hehua that made his dark little face turn as red as a monkey’s backside.
“Ah…”
Too embarrassed, and with nowhere to hide while still in her arms, he buried his face against her, pretending that if he couldn’t see anyone, no one could see him.
Children’s worlds were simple.
Hehua felt that perhaps she was the one overthinking things.
Seeing him like this, she couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
She gave him another playful pat.
“Hahaha! Feeling shy?”
Xiao Guodong covered his little bottom with both hands, his face still red.
“Big Sister Hehua, boys and girls shouldn’t touch each other. I’m a boy.”
Hehua lowered her voice conspiratorially.
“It’s okay. We’ll keep it a secret.”
Xiao Guodong: …
He was stunned.
Help!
What should he do if his lifesaving benefactor, Big Sister Hehua, was teasing him like a little rascal?
The rest of the journey, Hehua kept teasing the little boy until he finally slumped over her shoulder, completely defeated.
When they reached the village clinic, she called out before even entering.
“Uncle Wang, are you here?”
“I’m here, I’m here!”
Inside, the barefoot doctor, Wang Qingshan, was preparing some medicine.
Incidentally, Wang Qingshan was also related to Wang Santou’s family. His father was the Elder Wang Third that Hehua often mentioned, the senior-most elder of the Wang family.
Seeing Hehua carrying a child inside, he asked,
“What’s wrong? Is Pingping not feeling well?”
As he spoke, he set down the herbs in his hands.
“Come here. Let me take a look.”
While setting the child down, Hehua replied,
“It’s not my Pingping. It’s the child from the cowshed.”
She then explained everything that had happened, including the village chief’s instructions.
Wang Qingshan was furious.
“That father and son both deserve a beating. One actually dared to teach it, and the other dared to learn it. Your suggestion is a good one. That’s exactly what should be done. Don’t worry. I’ll have the old man go over there as soon as I get home.”
As he spoke, he began examining Xiao Guodong.
A short while later, he nodded.
“He’s fine. You rescued him in time. Other than choking on water and irritating his throat, there’s nothing serious. He doesn’t need medicine. He’ll recover in a couple of days.”
“But this child’s health is poor. After going through something like this, he’s likely to catch a cold. I’ll give you some ginger later. Take it to the adults looking after him and have them boil it into ginger water.”
“If anything seems wrong, bring him to the clinic immediately. A child’s fever isn’t something to endure at home.”
“All right, hurry and take him back so he can change into dry clothes.”
Hehua finally relaxed.
“Then we’ll be going now, Uncle Wang.”
“Go on. Hurry.”
After leaving the clinic, Hehua hugged Xiao Guodong tightly, shielding him from the wind as much as she could. Carrying the pieces of ginger, she headed straight toward the cowshed…